


If You Leave, Then I'll...

by redbluezero



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Bisexual Joker, Internalized Homophobia, Lesbian Ann, M/M, Mentioned Ann/Shiho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 21:36:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17650319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redbluezero/pseuds/redbluezero
Summary: My take on what happens when you ditch Ryuji and Mishima on the last day of the school trip, and added hotel room shenanigans. Spiritual successor to A Different Kind of Persona.What happens when you leave two closeted gay boys who like each other on a beach in Hawai'i alone together? They hit on girls, of course.





	If You Leave, Then I'll...

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone's first names are used except in dialogue/for the protagonist (he's referred to as Joker). At first I didn't write it to be like my other fic but it ended up relating so that's that.

“Ahhh man, at this point, let’s face it. He’s not gonna show up,” Ryuji sighed, rubbing the back of his sunburnt neck. He looked helplessly at Yuuki, his pouting face speaking for itself. The vulgar boy’s sheer disappointment with this whole Hawai’i trip was skyrocketing, and he wished he had never left Japan.

“Maybe, but we can always just… scout girls by ourselves?” Yuuki replied, attempting to cheer his somewhat friend up. He didn’t know what to think of Ryuji, really. They were so vastly different, Yuuki was so timid compared to him, and their only reason of interacting ever was their affiliation with the Phantom Thieves. Other than that, they were strangers, and it kind of made the Phanboy sad.

“Yeah, I guess… Ugh, come on,” Ryuji grumbled, arm falling down to his side. He slipped his hands in his pockets and trudged on, slightly slouching to finish the angry teenager vibe. Yuuki trailed behind him slowly, but not because he shared the bad mood. It was because he was thinking, deep in thought, about the boy in front of him. He looked carefully at his physique, at his back and his shoulder blades and… he was getting distracted. But it was at that moment that Yuuki knew that today had to be the day he was going to get closer to Ryuji Sakamoto!

The duo walked along the beach, flip flops flicking up sand as they went. They walked near the ocean, the water sometimes washing up on their feet. Yuuki stared at his own, his neck craning and facing the hot, scorching sun.

“Pay attention, dumbass! You’re supposed to be on the lookout for hot chicks!” Ryuji scolded his partner in crime. He clicked his tongue and scrunched his eyebrows as he slammed his arm into Yuuki’s side. The weaker boy gasped and stepped a few paces backward in response, grabbing his arm. He winced in pain; that was the arm Kamoshida always hit. Perhaps there was a scar, or perhaps it had just weakened from all of the damage. But Yuuki didn’t want to bring up all that baggage right then and there on the sunny shores of Hawai’i, so he simply replied,

“Got it!”

The two continued to walk and walk, side by side now, and the tiring sun was making them lose hope. Ryuji’s bad leg started to feel a little sore, but he ignored it. There was no time for bad thoughts here. This was America, home of the brave. No time for weakness, no time to surrender. The obviously insecure boy decided he’d talk to the next girl he laid eyes on, no matter what.

“There,” Ryuji tapped Yuuki’s shoulder with one hand and pointed to a tall girl with the other. “Let’s talk to her.” Yuuki nodded, and clenched his fist. He put on a weak smile, but there was enough determination behind it. Perhaps not for the girl, but for Ryuji. Said boy was making way toward the tall girl, who had long, brown hair and a tiny, tiny bathing suit. Enough to be an A in any shoddy guy’s book, though not Ryuji’s. She was far from an A. In fact, no girl could be an A to him. Ryuji was gay, and the reason why he was trying so hard to pick up girls was to hide it. He especially couldn’t have Yuuki, the guy he kind of fancied, know he was gay, which was the reason he acted so macho specifically near him. It was also the reason he avoided him. So Joker ditching them was certainly not the best outcome, and the real reason he was so upset. What a cruel twist of fate.

“Okay!” Yuuki replied, his legs wobbling as he walked up to the girl. Unbeknownst to Ryuji, Yuuki was hiding the same secret as him and was trying so hard to walk to this random American for that same reason. Ryuji gasped and mumbled to himself, “Shit he’s actually doing it.” He was basically in a trance as Yuuki took baby steps to the girl, kicking up storms of sand as he went. His face was in pure shock, almost as if he’d used Zionga on himself.

“HI?!” Yuuki exclaimed when he finally got to her. She was taken aback by his voice cracked screech, but looked him up and down nonetheless. After inspecting his physique closely, she smiled.

“Hello y’all!” she replied in a thick, Southern accent. Yuuki put on the best smile he could and blinked a few times. He did not know English. Clearly he knew what hello meant, but he had no clue how to continue the conversation. He desperately tried to remember English phrases he’d heard in class, and blurted out the first one he remembered.

“A cat has nine lives!” he yelled, giving her a thumbs up. She chuckled and nodded. Ryuji deadpanned. This was actually working? How come this never happened to him, not even with the flight attendant? Could everyone see through his sexuality? He hoped not. He continued to observe Yuuki, who was grinning nervously and making wild gestures. Sweat gathered on his brow, and not just from the heat.

“Yeah they do, my kitty’s survived many-a fall from my balcony!” the girl replied, somehow buying into this conversation. Yuuki stared at her blankly. Where was this going? What was she saying?

“Nice! Thank you!” he shouted, hoping that was an okay response. He’d heard some guys saying that on a TV show once, it was worth a shot.

“Oh, no need to thank me, that cat’s saved himself all those times! Say, you’re a cat lover, too, yes?” she replied, waving her hand a little. She seemed to be enjoying the conversation, and Yuuki could tell from vocal cues that she had asked a question, so he just boomed,

“Yes!!!”

Ryuji wished the ground was quicksand so he could melt away in it, wished that he was back in Futaba’s palace and falling into that sandy boobytrap. This was no good. At this rate, his man could get stolen away by some Barbie doll! He wanted to cry, this was so embarrassing. Getting one upped by a scrawny boy like Yuuki would definitely put a dent in his fake heterosexual pride, too. What was he supposed to do?

“Great, what kind of cats do ya like?” the girl asked. Yuuki was running low on American phrases at this point. What had he seen in foreign movies? Perhaps a dance could keep the conversation alive. But what could he possibly say to go with it? Ryuji could tell Yuuki was in a cinch and smiled to himself. This nightmare would be over soon, Yuuki would make a fool of himself and fall face flat in the sand, and all would be well. The welling in his chest would dissipate soon.

“Siamese twins!” Yuuki exaggerated his words as he did the little dance, sticking his arms out and poking the air. He even whistled a little jingle. He’d seen that one a play through of Just Dance. Ryuji stifled a laugh, but the girl was full on cracking up.

“Yes, yes! Siamese cats are just cuties!” she said between laughs, slapping her knee. Yuuki was amazed that that had worked, and even more amazed at his improv skills. Maybe once the Phansite simmered down, he’d join the drama club. Ryuji, however, felt the bad feeling in his chest come back. It was nauseating, and he thought about vomiting in the clear blue sea in front of him right then and there. But suddenly, as if an angel answered his pleas, an even taller guy walked up to the tall girl.

“Hey babe, I’m back. Oh, talking to a tourist? That’s chill, but we gotta head back now. We’ll miss our romantic dinner by the sunset!” the guy said, a smile on his face. He didn’t seem to care that his girlfriend was chatting with Yuuki, which was great, because if he  _ was _  mad, Yuuki would’ve probably pissed his pants in fear. The girl hummed in response and grabbed onto the arm of the guy, and said “Bye-bye! Fun chatting with you, little boy!” as she walked off with her boyfriend. Yuuki stood there, stunned. He really had a full on, charming conversation with a girl who had a boyfriend (well, he thought he charmed her)! That was definitely enough to convince Ryuji and all the other guys at school that he was straight!

“Did you see that, bro?! I did it! I flirted with an American girl WHO HAS A BOYFRIEND! And he was so intimidated by my skills, he didn’t beat me up or anything!” Yuuki faux bragged. He put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest, a sly grin on his face. He really looked prideful, as if he was on top of the world, as if he was a ten. In reality, there was nothing to really brag about, since the girl thought he was just a nice, funny kid and her boyfriend didn’t get mad because he’s a not a jealous prick, but it seemed to be the right thing to do. The manly thing to do. A few other Shujin students noticed the two talking as well, and clapped a little for Yuuki. It was definitely a good one for his reputation. But all Ryuji said in response was,

“Yeah, great job, bud…”

Yuuki didn’t even notice the other boy’s despair.

\---

The two walked along the sidewalk now, having spent a large chunk of time looking for girls. They hadn’t really gotten any hits since the tall girl that thought Yuuki was funny, though, and the sun was beginning to set. It wasn’t a complete waste of the day, they had fun somewhat, but to Ryuji it felt so. He was trudging and pouting and quite frankly his chest still hurt so he couldn’t really breathe. He stopped in the road, scratching the gravel, and said,

“Man, I might just head back. I’m tired and today sucked for me so yeah.” Yuuki himself stopped soon after, turning around to look at the solemn boy. He suddenly felt bad, and the little gremlin in his brain told him that he caused this and that he had to do something. Something big, something grand, that would cheer Ryuji up. In his compulsory heteroxuality, he had totally forgotten that today was his day to befriend Ryuji.

“A-Ahh, but the sun’s setting soon! Don’t you wanna see it?” Yuuki tried to persuade, “I-I looked it up while I was packing, the sunset here is supposedly way more beautiful than in Japan.” Ryuji gave him a pissed off look. It seemed that didn’t help much, maybe talking about his researching skills was the wrong choice yet again. Yuuki bit his lip. He had to try something else.

“Why don’t we sit on this bench instead, since you’re tired?” he quickly suggested. Ryuji figured he could do that, so he sighed and plopped down on the wooden seat. That seemed to help a little. Yuuki quickly sat down next to him, keeping his legs close together, while Ryuji spread himself out. The wood burned their skin a bit, their swim trunks covering so little of their thighs, but both were too anxious about each other to care. Quietly, they sat with a blanket of anxiety over their souls. There was a light breeze brushing over them, and the scent of fruits wafted over from the smoothie bar behind them. The beach was in their view, the fine white sand and clear blue sky and salty ocean were a fine sight for sore eyes. All the beauty around them, and the mood was still dreary.

“Sorry we couldn’t find a girl for you… but hey, the girl I talked to was taken, so I guess it’s not even really a win, haha...” Yuuki finally broke the silence, hoping to comfort Ryuji just a little. Yuuki could never understand the pain of not being by girls, he was gay, and that’s just how he was born. Though, he’d been pretty not liked by guys before, so perhaps he could share the pain of rejection.

“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better, bro, I’ve pretty much come to terms that I’m an unlikeable guy, even if I am a Phantom Thief,” Ryuji groaned, trying to sound like that was his problem. Perhaps if he mentioned the Thieves, Yuuki would go on a spiel and get distracted. He was glad the Phanboy was trying to make him feel better, but if only he knew it was because he got swooped away by some girl and not because Ryuji didn’t. He wasn’t jealous, he was gay! Or maybe he was jealous, but of the girl, not Yuuki. After that, the two were silent for a moment.

“Say, why do you always make it a point to go after girls, anyway? Especially when we’re in public places, and with me?” Yuuki asked suddenly, getting suspicious. It was just a random thought that popped into his head at that moment, but what if being a Phantom Thief wasn’t Ryuji’s only secret? What if he was like Yuuki? Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but something about Ryuji’s actions reminded him of himself. Said boy choked on his own spit. He sat in silence for another moment, then pinched his nose bridge. His life was over now, wasn’t it?

_ Don’t lie to yourself anymore, matey. _

Ryuji gasped, feeling a certain energy pulsating from his soul, erasing his anxiety for just a moment. It felt light, breathy, yet grounded and strong. That damn Captain Kidd, talking to him at a time like this. He grinned. The pirate was right, now was the perfect moment to say it, even if he was still kind of pissed off. Yuuki looked at the other boy, tilting his head to get closer, waiting for a response.

“‘Cuz I like dudes, damn it! Is that what you wanted to hear?” Ryuji finally admitted. It came out as a startling shout, voice cracks included. It took him a lot of courage to say it, so that’s why he made his vocal chords burn, but perhaps it was his Persona that got him through it. His toes curled up and the sand in his flip flops scratched him, but that was the least of his worried now. He slowly moved his head to look at Yuuki, wincing as he did so. Yuuki’s mouth was wide open, his jaw had dropped, and his eyes were glistening.

“Same here, I do that too! So yeah, that  _ is  _ what I wanted to hear!” he exclaimed, his voice making it even clearer that he was on the brink of tears. Ryuji could hear all that emotion, and quite frankly got a bit worried, but he knew exactly how the other boy felt. Perhaps Yuuki had a Persona too, that told him to say it? Nah, he had to admit that that weakling could be stronger than him in some respects. He, surprisingly, could be courageous without a magical power. Ryuji put his hand on Yuuki’s shoulder.

“Then we’re in this together, yeah?” he whispered. Yuuki nodded and wiped some snot off his nose, replacing it with the sand from his hand. He grabbed Ryuji’s cheek and pressed their foreheads together.

“Yeah, we are,” Yuuki replied just as softly. Ryuji smiled and chuckled a bit. It was hard to take him seriously, since he had a mustache of sand now, but he couldn’t help who he fell in love with, right? It was that thought in his mind that made him push Yuuki away quickly, a sudden reminder of where they were and what was happening. He kept his hands on the other boy’s shoulders, but his cheeks were turning red.

“Maybe we shouldn’t do this here! There’s! A lot of people watching, FROM SCHOOL, and coming out to you,  _a_   _fellow_   _gay_   _man_ , was terrifying enough! I’m not ready to come out to the kids from Shujin!” Ryuji explained. His heart was pounding. He’d never been that close to Yuuki, let alone another hot guy. Well, there was that time he went to the public bath with Yusuke and Joker, and both were pretty hot, but neither were his type. Yusuke was a nutcase he couldn’t understand, and Joker was his best friend, so he had no problem bathing with them. But being that close to Yuuki, in a swimsuit? That was a bit much, as well as the fact that by doing public displays of affection or anything gay for that matter, he’d be outing himself to the general public. He was beginning to understand Futaba’s phobia a little now, and he made a mental note to not be so harsh to her next time she panicked when going outside. Yuuki, on the other hand, didn’t get it as much. These weird actions micro bravery were what Ryuji liked about him.

“Being gay isn’t as looked down upon in the States, so we should be fine. Plus, we’re… not together? That was a friend thing. I’ve wanted to get closer to you for a while now, because we’re so different, and because you always avoid me, so if your blush means anything, then this is actually… the perfect place to go on a date? Just to try things out, of course!” Yuuki replied. Somehow, he’d managed to form not one but several rational thoughts, which was a surprise for him. It seemed that work on the Phansite had helped him, he was even about to go on a date with a Phantom Thief! If he could talk to the Yuuki from April who was getting beaten up by Kamoshida for being a “sissy”, that bleeding boy would be so happy to see himself now.

“YES! And sorry I’ve been avoiding you, I’m just gay!” Ryuji exclaimed. He was so ecstatic, so glad that he could express his affection for this dork. Yuuki laughed, a huge smile stretching across his face. Ryuji observed him carefully, getting a bit flustered, but revelling in the sight nonetheless. Maybe this Hawai’i trip wouldn’t suck after all.

“Come on, let’s walk the shore again. But this time, just for us guys,” Yuuki said, extending his hand. Ryuji stared at it for a moment, but when it clicked, he took the other boy’s hand in the blink of an eye. Their fingers intertwined, Ryuji’s chipped and battered nails scratching against Yuuki’s soft skin. It was nice, somehow, like the calm after a storm.

_ See? Told ya it’d be alright. _

Ryuji smiled to himself as Yuuki pulled him off the bench and around the beach, swinging their arms around using his empty hand to point to the sunset. Captain Kidd, surprisingly, always had a way with words. Maybe it was that punk talk that really got to him. Ryuji was eternally grateful that he’d been granted the gift of having a Persona, and that he was on a date with his crush. He wanted that confused toddler whose dad left to know he’d grow up just fine. He wanted so badly to tell the scared little middle schooler who cried and clung to Ann and Shiho, the only other people remotely like him, that it would be better once he got older. He wanted to tell the rowdy freshman who had given up on ever being accepted that, while dying his hair was cool and all, he didn’t need to be blonde. He wanted the kid with a bulky cast on his leg to know that it’d be over soon and he’d get his revenge eventually. Wow, life really can change when you’ve got Captain Kidd.

“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Yuuki commented, stopping his skipping. He squeezed Ryuji’s hand, as if to make sure he would get out of his own thoughts.

“Sorry, I was just… well, I’m so lucky to be here with you right now!” Ryuji replied with a toothy grin and a face that conveyed a carefree “whoops”. Yuuki stood still for a moment as his heart beat hard in his chest. Ryuji’s goofy demeanor swept him off his feet. He couldn’t help wonder how the delinquent in front of him, with messy hair and a lacking form and sand on his legs, stole his heart. That’s a question he had for the Phantom Thieves, too. But most of all he wanted to tell them thank you. It was because of them, because of Ryuji, that he was no longer a zero. He was no longer nothing, he was no longer the loser. He had a boyfriend (maybe)! He could run the world with the tap of the button thanks to the Phansite, though he wouldn’t want to. He’d much rather look at the sun behind him with Ryuji. So that’s what he did.

“Then pay attention to the horizon, will you?” Yuuki teased, letting go of his hand and putting his arms on Ryuji’s shoulders to turn him around forcefully. Both boys gasped when they finally looked out. The orange sun reflected on the clear water in such a way that everything around them was its hue. The white sand, the blue sky, the green leaves, everything was now somewhat orange.

“Why’d you let go of my hand?” Ryuji faux whined. He nudged Yuuki, then fastened a tight grip on his hand once again. But during all that, he couldn’t stop looking at the sunset. It was so romantic, and  definitely not something he could find in Japan.

“Sorry, man, but I had to get you to look at this beautiful view,” Yuuki replied in a deeper voice than usual. It was meant to mock bro culture, clearly, since Ryuji was the last person he expected to complain about hand holding. Then again, that side of him was a ruse, like he was wearing a mask of some kind, so maybe he should’ve expected this from Ryuji. Said boy replied,

“But you’re so much more beautiful.”

Yuuki was thrown into a flushed frenzy. He thought his heart was beating fast before, but at that moment, his chest practically exploded.

“I… No, you,” Yuuki muttered to himself. Ryuji snorted, then laughed out loud.

“Haha! That’s the best you can do?” he cackled. Yuuki’s blushing only got worse, the redness spreading to his ears. He was burning, and not because of the summer heat.

“I just meant that you’re attractive too! Jeez!” he yelled back in response. Ryuji continued laughing, so hard that he fell on Yuuki’s shoulder. He gasped, but Ryuji didn’t take note, so he let him stay. Perhaps that skin to skin contact was on purpose, perhaps not, but the two just rested like that as the last bit of golden slipped past the horizon.

“This was nice,” Ryuji said once the sun went down. He spoke softly, as his mouth was awfully close to Yuuki’s still red ear, and his voice was tender.

“Yeah, it was,” Yuuki replied, “We should head back now, though. It’s getting dark.” Ryuji nodded and made a 180° turn, now facing the boardwalk. A few shops, a Big Bang Burger, and a more upscale restaurant with tropical themes were now the view. Still hand in hand, Ryuji and Yuuki walked back to the hotel. Unbeknownst to them, the tall couple from earlier had been watching them from the restaurant, happily observing their love story unfold.

“I knew that boy wasn’t really into me. I’m glad both of them have realized,” the girl chuckled.

\---

Ryuji and Yuuki’s hands only split apart when they were forced to go to their own separate rooms, each being dragged away from the lobby by their respective roomies. Joker, however, couldn’t put two and two together, so that was that. He simply didn’t question the frown Yuuki wore as they walked to the elevator, he was kind of aloof when it came to the Phanboy. Once they stepped into the fancy, beige box though, said sullen boy asked,

“Where were you, anyway? You left me and Ryuji all alone, damn it!”

Joker quickly turned his head to look at his smaller friend.

“I was with a friend from Kosei,” he replied, not a man of many words.

“Ohhh, that Yusuke guy? Yusuke Kitagawa, Madarame’s ex student. He’s a Phantom Thief too, right?” Yuuki asked, eyes full of wonder. If there was one thing to distract him from Ryuji, it was… Ryuji’s associates. He truly was a Phanboy. Joker just put a finger over his mouth and replied,

“Shh. And no, a girl. Hifumi Togo, the shogi champ in all the tabloids.”

Yuuki gasped.

“No fair! You’re friends with all the cool people! And a girl at that, I bet you got all smoochy or something,” he whined, switching into his heterosexual persona yet again. It felt kind of weird doing so after he himself was about to get smoochy with Ryuji, but it was what had to be done nonetheless.

“Shut up. We did not. And she’s Yusuke’s friend too,” Joker spat back, actually looking stern. His face was a tad frightening, even with slightly pink cheeks, so Yuuki broke eye contact. Because of that, he noticed that Joker was clenching a turtle keychain in his fist and decided not to pry anymore.

_ Ding! _

The elevator brought the two back into reality and out of reminiscence, and they quickly scurried to their room. Once there, they settled down, changed out of their swimsuits, talked a bit about the Phansite (as per usual with Yuuki), and got ready for bed. It was a very long day for both of them, after all. Just as they were about to shut their eyes, someone came knocking and Yuuki’s phone buzzed. Joker jumped to the door while Yuuki checked his messages. One, from Ryuji, reading,

_ I came to see you. _

Yuuki quickly shut off his phone and looked up. To his horror, Joker had already turned the shiny golden doorknob of hell and let Ryuji in. His eyes met directly with his boyfriend (or something), and his heart was beating madly yet again. Just when he thought he could catch a breath, they were going to sleep (in the same room) together! He was not ready for this! Then he remembered that Joker didn’t know he was gay, and for Ryuji at that. His heart starting beating more rapidly, and for a different reason. He was not ready to come out again. Anxiety and butterflies were not a good mix for his stomach.

“Why are you here?” Joker asked, sighing. He sounded disappointed, and Yuuki hoped he was annoyed enough to kick Ryuji out. Yuuki would himself, but he was a bit more ready to jump out of his skin. What was Ryuji going to say? Would he admit it? Would he tell Joker about their supposed relationship?

“Uhh, well, my roomie’s girlfriend came over to our room. And I don’t wanna be there because I’m, like, 90% sure they’ll bang when I’m asleep and that’s… uh... gonna make me feel shitty since I have no girl! Yeah! And also I don’t wanna see my roomie’s dick, hell no!” Ryuji lied through his teeth. Yuuki internally facepalmed. He was trying so hard to pretend he liked girls and not guys that it gave Yuuki second hand embarrassment. Was he himself that embarrassing when he tried to act straight? He didn’t know, and didn’t want to. Luckily, Joker said nothing. Although, he couldn’t, because at that moment, Ann bolted in and shut the mahogany door.

“What the hell?” all three boys yelled in unison. Ryuji was ticked off now that his plan was ruined, Yuuki was shocked by her sheer presence, and Joker was tired of the madness.

“Sorry, uhh, my roomie’s boyfriend invited her over and locked me in! I just went to get… a snack! From the vending machine! Oh but I don’t have one because I left my wallet in the room, which is how I figured out it was locked! So now I have no soda or money or room!” Ann explained, clearly lying as well. Ryuji knew exactly what was going on. They used the same excuse, after all, it was like a secret gay code. In middle school, she had come out as lesbian and dating Shiho, and figured that Ann was just running away from her classmates to avoid the topic of love. It was an overnight trip staple to talk about that, and today was the last day, so the conversation could not be dodged any longer.  

“Well, you can’t stay here!” Ryuji yelled. Sure, the right thing to do would be to help his friend, but she just cockblocked him! He was not having it. Ann then gasped and put her hand over her mouth dramatically. Her eyebrows tilted upwards and she put on a small pout.

“Oh, and why not, Ryuji?” she asked, trying to feign hurt with a high pitched voice. He knew she was acting, though, she’d told him all about her modeling and acting dreams. Ann’s crocodile tears would not work on the strong Captain Kidd!

“B-because you’re a girl! Why do you trust us… girl loving guys so much? You know how teenage boys get! Go to Makoto’s room or something!” Ryuji argued, trying to convey to Ann that it was for a gay reason but also not out himself to his best friend by acting obnoxiously straight. Yuuki, on the other hand, wanted to cast Mudo on himself just from hearing that sentence. It was second hand embarrassment all over again! Ann simply had a chuckling fit. As she tried to calm down and open her mouth to respond, though, Joker made a ultimatum.

“Either both of you stay or both of you go, enough nonsense. In the words of my bastard cat, go the fuck to sleep.”

Needless to say, all three homosexuals quickly shut up, played a heated game of poker with Joker to see who’d get a bed, and tried to sleep in the arrangement they figured out.

\---

“Hey, Joker, Ryuji, you guys awake?” Ann broke the silence with a mandatory whisper. Joker nodded from the couch while still staring at the ceiling, and Ryuji rolled over to face her from his floor blankets.

“Yeah, ‘course I am. I can’t sleep on the floor, it’s too hard,” Ryuji grumbled.

“Ryuji, stop complaining. And Ann, you’re five, go to sleep,” Joker shot back to both of them. They looked at him, dumbfounded, but Ann carried on anyway.

“Well, sorry if I’m a teenage girl, Joker, but I must ask… what kind of girls are you two into? I figured if I can’t have this chat with the girls I’m rooming with, I might as well have it with you guys,” she responded, with just a hint of mischief in her voice. Ryuji flared his nostrils at her and his eyes widened in anger. He snatched his phone, and suddenly, Ann’s own phone brightened. She looked over and on the notification screen was a single text from Ryuji.

_ I am going to kill you. _

Quickly followed by,

_ I thought you left your room to  _ avoid  _ this topic! Way to put  _ me  _ on the spot though! _

Ann looked at Ryuji from across the room and grinned slyly as she typed away.

_ Revenge. _

Ryuji groaned and rolled his eyes, then fed into her little game. He decided he’d gush about Yuuki for a bit, secretly. Why not put a positive twist on things?

“I don’t really know my type, a good personality I guess. Someone who’s kind, and cares about me, and is dedicated,” Ryuji mumbled, blushing a bit. Almost feeling the heat rise to his cheeks, he covered them with his hand. He hoped that this very basic description was enough for Ann, but unfortunately, it wasn’t.

“So if there were two  _ girls _  with equally good personalities, what would be the deciding factor between them?” she continued. Ryuji froze, unexpectedly perplexed. He’d actually never thought about that before, so he ran the scenario in his mind right then and there. Ikeda and Yuuki both manifested themselves in his mind, his old crush and his current one. Both were nice to him, both went through abuse by Kamoshida, both were timid but dedicated. Then he pictured them with their shirts off. Ikeda was always kind of muscly, especially since they worked out together and he was older, while Yuuki was scrawny and thin and still showed signs of recovering scars from Kamoshida. Ikeda’s skin was always scratchy and dry and rough though, while Yuuki’s hands and skin were soft even when coated with sand from earlier that day. Ryuji gulped and shifted his legs. Yuuki was more attractive, so he chose him.

“I don’t know, the hotter one,” Ryuji finally replied. Ann grinned evilly now.

“Oh, so you only care about tits?” she asked with an accusatory demeanor.

“What?! No, that’s not what I said!” Ryuji yelled back. She started laughing tremendously, wobbling all over the bed that she won from the card game earlier.

“Shut up! Joker, your turn! What’s your type!” he screamed, going red and trying to get the attention off of himself. Their leader finally turned to face them, his arm now falling over the green couch he lay on.

“Someone who’s mysterious, a challenge to get to know,” he replied nonchalantly. He then turned back to face the ceiling and closed his eyes.

“Damn, so he was serious about sleeping,” Ann commented, somehow in awe of how little Joker spoke. Ryuji nodded in agreement, arms crossed.

“Well, he  _ does  _ have a point. We should rest oursel–,” she continued when suddenly, a gut wrenching belching noise filled the room. Ryuji quickly stood up from his resting place on the floor. The sound was coming from the bathroom.

“Mishima?” he asked, concerned. A few moments of heavy breathing and no answer. The only reply was another belching noise. Ryuji’s heart dropped, wincing. That was definitely his boyfriend making that noise.

“Oh, poor guy,” Ann sighed in sympathy, “Though I  _ did  _ see him drinking tap water. It’s kinda his fault.” Ryuji stuck up his middle finger at her, for many reasons at that point, then ran to the bathroom.

There he was, in all his toilet praising glory, Yuuki Mishima. He was panting, breathing awfully heavy, and his shaky arms clung to each side of the porcelain throne. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead, and his mouth was lined with… something. Probably bile, but Ryuji didn’t want to think about it. That was gross, and probably not the best way to start a relationship. Even so, he ran further into the bathroom and dropped to his knees next to Yuuki.

“Holy shit, are you okay?” Ryuji asked. Yuuki couldn’t form a sentence, but he nodded quickly. All of a sudden, the hunched his back even more and threw up again. Ryuji winced and closed one eye, looking away, but he saw it anyway. He took one of Yuuki’s hands off the side of the toilet and clenched it with his own, and used the other hand to pat his back. Yuuki coughed and coughed, trying to regain his breath.

“It’ll be okay,” Ryuji reassured gruffly as he rubbed the sick boy’s back, “It’ll be okay. I’m here.” Yuuki threw up again, though. Ryuji grimaced and turned the other way, wishing he could get Ann over there to cast Diarama or something. If only there was some way to stop Yuuki from vomiting, though his thoughts were suddenly cut out by Yuuki himself.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t want you to see me like this, so I didn’t ask for help… I’m sorry, we went on our first date and everything but now you have to watch me throw up, ha ha…” he managed to say. It was a mouthful and his voice was raspy, that was a fact, and Ryuji couldn’t imagine how hard speaking must have been. To think Yuuki was worried about looking good in front of Ryuji more than his own health, it made him feel kind of ill himself.

“It’s okay. I don’t care if you’re sick. I care about your health more than about you looking pretty or something,” Ryuji whispered, realizing his true feelings. He still rubbed Yuuki’s back and the nauseous boy smiled, feeling just a little better.  _ Take that Ann _ , Ryuji thought. He didn’t care about looks the most, hell no. That would be a dick move. Ann could practically hear Ryuji saying that, and she could definitely hear his conversation with Yuuki. She was eavesdropping from her post on the bed, smiling with her ear pressed against the bathroom wall. It was then that she knew that Ryuji was going to be alright. He’d finally found love just as she had, and both of them were prepared to go through thick and thin for their volleyball partners (a funny coincidence, she thought). Clearly, Shiho’s rehab didn’t compare to Yuuki’s mistake, but Ann felt some solidarity once again with Ryuji, just as she did in middle school when they came out to each other.

Deep in the sea of souls, a pirate and a dancer emerged, and two voices could be heard saying the same thing.

_ It’s going to be alright, young ones. _

\---

After Yuuki was done vomiting and had washed up, him and Ryuji left the bathroom hand in hand. Joker was fast asleep at this point, snoring lightly actually, and Ann was just scrolling through her Instagram feed on her phone. So the delinquent, instead of letting go of Yuuki’s hand, hopped right onto the bed with him. The two of them bounced slightly as Ryuji made himself comfy on the fluffy covers.

“Hey! What? Won’t Takamaki-san notice?” Yuuki whispered as his boyfriend rolled around. This time it was not the toilet flushing, but rather his face. Ryuji shook his head.

“Ann knows,” was all he whispered before he hugged Yuuki from behind. The other boy, for about the third or fourth time that day, felt as if he was having a heart attack. He was glad that neither of them were in their swimsuits, because that much skin to skin contact would’ve killed him. Ryuji just hummed as he started to spoon Yuuki, wrapping his legs around the other boy too.

“A-Ann knows?” was somehow the only thing Yuuki could muster in response. He grabbed Ryuji’s hands, which were currently on his chest. They were still calloused, Yuuki didn’t know what he was expecting, but he liked it. He always liked more rugged men, like the much sportier guys from his middle school. Though they bullied him, so Ryuji was a total upgrade.

“Yeah, Ann’s known since middle school, dude,” said boy replied. He bit Yuuki’s ear, though gently. The other boy shivered.

“Oh y-yeah, you, Takamaki-san and… Suzui-chan… you all went to middle school together,” Yuuki replied, ashamed that he’d forgotten something like that. The boy behind him suddenly shifted a bit, pulling not away, but a bit further.

“Suzui-chan?” Ryuji questioned. Yuuki flinched.  _ Shit _ , he thought. Now was not the time to go down this rabbit hole, not today, not when he was in this happy little utopia with Ryuji.

“She was the only girl I’ve ever liked,” Yuuki blurted out. He wanted to bang his face on the hard, wooden headboard.

“WHAT?!” Ryuji and Ann screamed in unison. Suddenly, silence. There was too much going on at once, and the three had to give their brains some time to process it all. After the jumble in their brains settled down, the two boys quickly turned to the other bed, deeming themselves more surprised at her outburst than at the fact that Yuuki used to like Shiho.

“Sorry, I was eavesdropping,” Ann apologized with a weak smile. Ryuji shot her a nasty look and she did a mini bow just in case. Then he turned back to Yuuki and sighed.

“So do you still like her?” Ryuji asked, just the faintest sign of hurt showing in his voice. Yuuki quickly shook his head, shaking so hard that Ann and Ryuji feared it might fall off.

“No! I don’t even really know if I liked her in the first place, it was really strange… like, I had romantic feelings for her I guess, but I don’t know… she wasn’t attractive to me, like at all,” he explained. He hoped that’d soothe the situation with Ryuji, not like it wasn’t the truth, but it was just difficult for him. He didn’t like thinking about it, especially after the incident because it made him feel guiltier. Ryuji recognized that, and gave his maybe partner a pat on the back. Sexuality was weird in that way. Ann, however, completely missed the point.

“What the hell?! How  _ dare  _ you say my girlfriend is not attractive! She is the most beautiful woman on this damn planet! Fuck you, Mishima-kun!” she yelled, putting her hands on her hips. Yuuki was speechless. Ann really just outed herself to him. And how was he even supposed to respond to that? This fellow was gay, he was not born to love women in the sexual sense.

“Will you guys. Please. Chill. You are all gay, so please stop your nonsense argument. Plus, I firmly believe men  _ and  _ women are hot,” a voice jumped in. Ann, Ryuji, and Yuuki froze, terror settling into their veins. The voice most definitely belonged to Joker, which meant he had heard their entire conversation, including the parts that would  _ heavily  _ insinuate that the three were homosexual (and that Yuuki was biromantic maybe).

“Did… you hear,” the three asked quietly, but in unison.

“Yes. Yes I did. I heard everything. But don’t worry, I’m bisexual myself so there’s no need for a discussion. Just, please, go to sleep,” Joker responded. He threw his sheet over his face, stuck up the middle finger for a moment then started snoring for real. The three on the beds looked at each other silently, then got under the sheets, and began to rest themselves. A cool night air hung in the hotel room, and the gentle moonlight shone in from the large window. Ryuji and Yuuki cuddled, hiding under the covers and giving each other small pecks. Ann’s phone rose up and down on her chest as she closed her eyes and listened to Shiho narrate her day (as it was afternoon in Japan) through her broken headphones. Joker tossed and turned on the couch as he dreamt of Yusuke and Hifumi, the two Kosei students that had caught his eye. All was well in Hawai’i.


End file.
